CONTRARY TO POPULAR OPINION, the cultivation of a psychology of uncritical belief is not an unqualified good, and if carried too far it may be a positive evil. The whole world has been booby-trapped by the devil, and the deadliest trap of all is the religious one. Error never looks so innocent as when it is found in the sanctuary.One field where harmless-looking but deadly traps appear in great profusion is the field of prayer. There are more sweet notions about prayer than could be contained in a large book, all of them wrong and all highly injurious to the souls of men.I think of one such false notion that is found often in pleasant places consorting smilingly with other notions of unquestionable orthodoxy. It is that God always answers prayer.This error appears among the saints as a kind of all-purpose philosophic therapy to prevent any disappointed Christian from suffering too great a shock when it becomes evident to him that his prayer expectations are not being fulfilled. It is explained that God always answers prayer, either by saying Yes or by saying No, or by substituting something else for the desired favor.Now, it would be hard to invent a neater trick than this to save face for the petitioner whose requests have been rejected for non-obedience. Thus when a prayer is not answered he has but to smile brightly and explain, "God said No." It is all so very comfortable. His wobbly faith is saved from confusion and his conscience is permitted to lie undisturbed. But I wonder if it is honest.To receive an answer to prayer as the Bible uses the term and as Christians have understood it historically, two elements must be. present: (1) A clear-cut request made to God for a specific favor. (2) A clear-cut granting of that favor by God in answer to the request. There must be no semantic twisting, no changing of labels, no altering of the map during the journey to help the embarrassed tourist to find himself.When we go to God with a request that He modify the existing situation for us, that is, that He answer prayer, there are two conditions that we must meet: (1) We must pray in the will of God and (2) we must be on what old-fashioned Christians often call "praying ground"; that is, we must be living lives pleasing to God.It is futile to beg God to act contrary to His revealed purposes. To pray with confidence the petitioner must be certain that his request falls within the broad will of God for His people.The second condition is also vitally important. God has not placed Himself under obligation to honor the requests of worldly, carnal or disobedient Christians. He hears and answers the prayers only of those who walk in His way. "Beloved, if our heart condemn us not, then have we confidence toward God. And whatsoever we ask, we receive of him, because we keep his commandments, and do those things that are pleasing in his sight . . . . If ye abide in me, and my words abide in you, ye shall ask what ye will, and it shall be done unto you" (1 John 3:21,22; John 15:7).God wants us to pray and He wants to answer our prayers, but He makes our use of prayer as a privilege to commingle with His use of prayer as a discipline. To receive answers to prayer we must meet God's terms. If we neglect His commandments our petitions will not be honored. He will alter situations only at the request of obedient and humble souls.The God-always-answers-prayer sophistry leaves the praying man without discipline. By the exercise of this bit of smooth casuistry he ignores the necessity to live soberly, righteously and godly in this present world, and actually takes God's flat refusal to answer his prayer as the very answer itself. Of course such a man will not grow in holiness; he will never learn how to wrestle and wait; he will never know correction; he will not hear the voice of God calling him forward; he will never arrive at the place where he is morally and spiritually fit to have his prayers answered. His wrong philosophy has ruined him.That is why I turn aside to expose the bit of bad theology upon which his bad philosophy is founded. The man who accepts it never knows where he stands; he never knows whether or not he has true faith, for if his request is not granted he avoids the implication by the simple dodge of declaring that God switched the whole thing around and gave him something else. He will not allow himself to shoot at a target, so he cannot tell how good or how bad a marksman he is.Of certain persons James says plainly: "Ye ask, and receive not, because ye ask amiss, that ye may consume it upon your lusts." From that brief sentence we may learn that God refuses some requests because they who make them are not morally worthy to receive the answer. But this means nothing to the one who has been seduced into the belief that God always answers prayer. When such a man asks and receives not he passes his hand over the hat and comes up with the answer in some other form. One thing he clings to with great tenacity: God never turns anyone away, but invariably grants every request.The truth is that God always answers the prayer that accords with His will as revealed in the Scriptures, provided the one who prays is obedient and trustful. Further than this we dare not go.

A.W. Tozer's materials are a mainstay in Evangelical churches in our day and he is one of the most quoted authors. He was a prophet in his day and his writings are even more influential in our day. One of his books: The Pursuit of God, has had over 1 million copies sold world-wide.

Morning and Evening with A.W. Tozer

Man - The Dwelling Place of God - Does God Always Answer Prayer"

Little children, keep yourselves from idols. § Come out from among them and be separate, says the Lord. Do not touch what is unclean, and I will receive you.” “I will be a Father to you, and you shall be My sons and daughters, says the Lord Almighty. § You cannot serve God and mammon. You shall worship no other god, for the Lord, whose name is Jealous, is a jealous God. § Serve Him with a loyal heart and with a willing mind; for the Lord searches all hearts and understands all the intent of the thoughts. Behold, You desire truth in the inward parts, and in the hidden part You will make me to know wisdom. § For man looks at the outward appearance, but the Lord looks at the heart. § Beloved, if our heart does not condemn us, we have confidence toward God.

Daily Light on the Daily Path or Daily Light is a Christian daily devotional scripture reading published by Bagster & Sons about 1875. It has been reprinted continually since then. It consists of brief groupings of scripture passages which speak to prominent Biblical themes—two themes (morning and evening) for each day of the year. It appends no commentary, but simply allows scripture to speak for itself.

Morning Daily Light

 If you return to the Lord with all your hearts, then put away the foreign gods and the Ashtoreths from among you, and prepare your hearts for the Lord, and serve Him only. 

This is the will of Him who sent Me, that everyone who sees the Son and believes in Him may have everlasting life. § Whatever we ask we receive from Him, because we keep His commandments and do those things that are pleasing in His sight. My yoke is easy and My burden is light. § If you love Me, keep My commandments. §  He who has My commandments and keeps them, it is he who loves Me. And he who loves Me will be loved by My Father, and I will love him and manifest Myself to him. Happy is the man who finds wisdom, and the man who gains understanding. § Her ways are ways of pleasantness, and all her paths are peace. § Great peace have those who love Your law, and nothing causes them to stumble. § I delight in the law of God according to the inward man. This is His commandment: that we should believe on the name of His Son Jesus Christ and love one another. § Love does no harm to a neighbor; therefore love is the fulfillment of the law.

 His commandments are not burdensome. 

He who hears My word and believes in Him who sent Me has everlasting life, and shall not come into judgment, but has passed from death into life. § He who has the Son has life; he who does not have the Son of God does not have life. He who establishes us with you in Christ and has anointed us is God, who also has sealed us and given us the Spirit in our hearts as a guarantee. § By this we know that we are of the truth, and shall assure our hearts before Him … Beloved, if our heart does not condemn us, we have confidence toward God. § We know that we are of God, and the whole world lies under the sway of the wicked one. You He made alive, who were dead in trespasses and sins. [He] made us alive together with Christ. § He has delivered us from the power of darkness and conveyed us into the kingdom of the Son of His love.

 We know that we have passed from death to life. 

He who is without sin among you, let him throw a stone at her first.” … Then those who heard it, being convicted by their conscience, went out one by one, beginning with the oldest. Who told you that you were naked? Have you eaten from the tree of which I commanded you that you should not eat? To him who knows to do good and does not do it, to him it is sin. § If our heart condemns us, God is greater than our heart, and knows all things. Beloved, if our heart does not condemn us, we have confidence toward God. All things indeed are pure, but it is evil for the man who eats with offense … Happy is he who does not condemn himself in what he approves. Search me, O God, and know my heart; try me, and know my anxieties; and see if there is any wicked way in me, and lead me in the way everlasting.

Evening Daily Light

 The spirit of a man is the lamp of the Lord. 

Without faith it is impossible to please Him. § Those who are in the flesh cannot please God. § The Lord takes pleasure in His people. This is commendable, if because of conscience toward God one endures grief, suffering wrongfully … But when you do good and suffer, if you take it patiently, this is commendable before God. § The … beauty of a gentle and quiet spirit … is very precious in the sight of God. Whoever offers praise glorifies Me; and to him who orders his conduct aright I will show the salvation of God. § I will praise the name of God with a song, and will magnify Him with thanksgiving. This also shall please the Lord better than an ox or bull, which has horns and hooves. I beseech you … brethren, by the mercies of God, that you present your bodies a living sacrifice, holy, acceptable to God, which is your reasonable service.

 Things that are pleasing in His sight. 

Jesus lifted up His eyes and said, “Father, I thank You that You have heard Me.” § “Father, glorify Your name.” Then a voice came from heaven, saying, “I have both glorified it and will glorify it again.” § I come to do Your will. § Not My will, but Yours, be done. As He is, so are we in this world. § This is the confidence that we have in Him, that if we ask anything according to His will, He hears us. Whatever we ask we receive from Him, because we keep His commandments and do those things that are pleasing in His sight. Without faith it is impossible to please Him, for he who comes to God must believe that He is, and that He is a rewarder of those who diligently seek Him. He always lives to make intercession for them. § If anyone sins, we have an Advocate with the Father, Jesus Christ the righteous.

 You always hear Me. 

O Lord, what shall I say when Israel turns its back before its enemies?’’ … So the Lord said to Joshua: “Get up! Why do you lie thus on your face? Israel has sinned. For they have even taken some of the accursed things … and they have also put it among their own stuff.” Behold, the Lord’s hand is not shortened, that it cannot save; nor His ear heavy, that it cannot hear. But your iniquities have separated you from your God; and your sins have hidden His face from you, so that He will not hear. If I regard iniquity in my heart, the Lord will not hear. Beloved, if our heart does not condemn us, we have confidence toward God. And whatever we ask we receive from Him, because we keep His commandments and do those things that are pleasing in His sight.

 I sought him, but I could not find him; I called him, but he gave me no answer. 

21 Dear friends, if our hearts do not condemn us, we have confidence before God 22 and receive from him anything we ask, because we keep his commands and do what pleases him.

Dear friends,<cr>1</cr> if our hearts do not condemn us, we have confidence before God<cr>2</cr>

1 John 3:21

and receive from him anything we ask,<cr>1</cr> because we keep his commands<cr>2</cr> and do what pleases him.<cr>3</cr>

1 John 3:22

 21 Dear friends,   if our hearts do not condemn us, we have confidence before God   22 and receive from him anything we ask,   because we keep his commands   and do what pleases him.  

From Wikipedia: 

The New International Version (NIV) is an English translation of the Bible first published in 1978 by Biblica (formerly the International Bible Society). The NIV was published to meet the need for a modern translation done by Bible scholars using the earliest, highest quality manuscripts available. Of equal importance was that the Bible be expressed in broadly understood modern English.

The NIV is published by Zondervan in the United States and Hodder & Stoughton in the UK. The NIV was updated in 1984 and 2011 and has become one of the most popular and best-selling modern translations.

OT: Biblia Hebraica Stuttgartensia; additional sources;
NT: UBS Greek New Testament; Novum Testamentum Graece; additional sources;

New International Version

 Dear friends,  if our hearts do not condemn us, we have confidence before God  and receive from him anything we ask,  because we keep his commands  and do what pleases him. 

1 John 3:21-22

Dear friends, if our hearts do not condemn us, we have confidence before God and receive from him anything we ask, because we keep his commands and do what pleases him.

 Dear friends,   if our hearts do not condemn us, we have confidence before God   and receive from him anything we ask,   because we keep his commands   and do what pleases him.  

Bible Verse of the Day

April 11, 2023

1 John 3:21-22 NIV

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